Into the Unknown
by Hearts345
Summary: Sequel to my previous story "To Boldly Go" ... If you have not read it, then I would highly recommend it... We again follow Acacia Casimir as she returns to the Enterprise after her ill-fated first mission. During her time on Earth many things have changed. Will she fit in with the new crew? Or be lost? Set after "Into Darkness" so Spoiler Alert!
1. Return to Duty

**Hey People! I'm back with my first ever Sequel!**

**This is the first time that I've ever been able to write a sequel to one of my stories. Most of the time I never actually finish the original story... But not this time! :)**

**I won't waste anymore of your time... No Copyright Infringement is Intended**

* * *

Lieutenant Acacia Casimir was glad to be back on board the Enterprise. After spending nearly two years on Earth, the thought of being on a Starship was very appealing to her. Even being part of a five-year mission sounded like a good idea to her.

Why was that? Her reasoning was simple; she had been confined to Earth after her very first mission. It wasn't her fault though.

When news reached the Federation about what had happened on Loreleine, they took action. That action was to keep her on Earth indefinitely because they thought she would endanger the lives of the crew. So it was decided that she would remain an Officer but she was not allowed to leave the planet.

Why was she back on the Enterprise now? The circumstances of the last two years allowed for that.

Acacia still remembered the conversation that started it all…

* * *

It was a sunny Wednesday morning. Acacia had just finished making a cup of coffee when her phone rang. The phone was located in the living room of her apartment, so she ran from the kitchen to answer it. She checked the call display and smiled.

The caller ID read 'Leonard McCoy'. She hadn't heard from him in a couple months.

"To what do I owe the pleasure?" she asked after she pressed the 'talk' button.

"Something's happened to Jim." said McCoy, his voice solemn.

All of a sudden she felt like a massive weight had been placed on her chest. Slowly, she slumped down onto her couch.

Tirza jumped up on her lap and purred as though she knew Acacia was upset. Absent-mindedly, Acacia scratched the vilius behind the ears.

"Is he alright?" she asked.

McCoy didn't answer.

"Bones?" she prompted.

"It's hard to explain over the phone," he said. "Could you come to the Hospital?"

"Sure," she said. "I'll be there in 20 minutes."

"I'll meet you at the front doors." said McCoy, and then he hung up.

Acacia sat still for a minute; the only things moving were her hands as she continued to pet Tirza.

She took a deep breath to help calm herself and got up from the couch. She grabbed her keys from the table by the door and stepped out of her apartment into the hallway.

Acacia drove to the hospital in a daze; not fully aware of the route she was taking. It was only after she had parked her little red Beetle and was walking toward the front door that she realized where she was. As she walked through the parking lot, a breeze blew her long blonde hair into her bright green eyes, slightly obscuring her vision.

True to his word, Dr. McCoy was waiting for her just inside the front doors. He was dressed in the white uniform of the surgical doctors. This did little to ease her anxiety.

"Follow me." he said. He then led her through the lobby toward the elevators.

Silently, she followed him. She kept trying to catch his eye but he was staring straight ahead.

She was about to speak to him when they stopped in front of the elevators. McCoy pressed the button to call the elevator to their floor.

"Did something happen during the Niribu mission?" asked Acacia.

McCoy laughed, "If that was all that happened."

The door to the elevator opened and they stepped inside.

"What do you mean?" she asked as McCoy pressed a button and the elevator started moving.

He told her about all that happened on the Niribu mission and the 'fall-out' that resulted. He explained how they were chosen to go after John Harrison and how it turned out that his real name was Khan Noonien Singh. He explained how that had all been a part of a larger plot by the late Admiral Marcus to start a war between the Klingons and the Federation.

Lastly, he told her about the members of Khan's crew who were cryogenically frozen and hidden inside long range photon torpedoes.

"I knew about that Bones," said Acacia. "I helped catalogue the tissue samples."

"Right," said McCoy. "I forgot that your focus is Biology."

Acacia smiled, "The tissues were remarkable."

"You don't know the half of it." said McCoy as the elevator stopped and the doors opened.

"Bones?" she asked.

She followed him out of the elevator into the hallway. She noticed they were in the outer area of an Intensive Care Unit.

"What are we doing here?" she asked.

"We're here to see Jim." said McCoy blankly.

"What?!" she said, the shock evident in her voice.

"Khan's blood had incredible regenerative qualities. Like nothing I've ever seen," said McCoy. "I injected a small sample into the tissue of a dead Tribble as an experiment. And the Tribble came back to life."

"That's incredible," said Acacia. "But what does that have to do with Jim being in the hospital?"

"During the last attack against Khan, our ship was badly damaged. The damage was so extensive that we almost completely lost power. Come to find out, the central power core had been shifted off its axis. It needed to be realigned or the Ship was dead.

"So Jim decided to fix it himself. The room is highly radioactive and usually no one goes in without the proper suits. But there was no time so Jim went in anyway. He fought the radiation long enough to realign the core and save the Ship.

"Despite his efforts, he eventually succumbed to radiation poisoning and died."

"So if he's dead, why are we here?" she asked.

"He's not dead. Or at least not anymore." said McCoy. "I synthesized a serum from Khan's blood which I used to bring Jim back to life."

Acacia said nothing. Instead she just stared at McCoy; her blank face betraying the race of emotions running through her mind.

"Is he alright?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"He seems to be," said McCoy. "He only woke up a couple days ago. I would have called sooner but we weren't sure if he would wake up at all."

"How long was he out?" she asked.

"Three weeks," McCoy said. "He's in that room if you want to see him."

McCoy pointed to a door at the far end of the hall. Acacia walked toward it and stopped when she reached it.

Through the door's window she would see Kirk lying on a hospital bed. He was propped up into a sitting position by pillows and was staring out the window. From what she could see of his face, he looked very pensive.

"You really care for him, don't you?" asked McCoy.

Acacia jumped at the suddenness of his question.

"Of course I do." Acacia said her hand on the doorknob. "He saved my life."

She opened the door and stepped into the bright, sun-lit room.

As soon as he heard the door open, Kirk turned his head away from the window and toward her. The sunlight streaming in through the window illuminated his light brown hair, making it look almost blonde.

Suddenly, Acacia felt naked despite the green sweater and dark jeans she was wearing. Kirk's blue eyes had a tendency to do that to people.

"Hello," he said. "What brings you here?"

"Bones called me." She said as she walked closer to the bed. "Jim, how could you do that?"

"What? Save the entire crew of the Enterprise?" he said. "It made perfect sense to me."

"Yes, but you died." Said Acacia. She felt tears rise in her eyes so she looked away from him.

"Come here." Said Kirk. He patted the edge of his bed.

She sat down on the bed but she couldn't quite meet his gaze.

He reached out with his left hand and placed it on her cheek. A smile graced his face as pulled her face toward his.

"I chose to do what I did because I knew it would save my crew." He said. "Were you in my position, I'm sure you would have done the same."

"But Jim…You're one of the few friends that I have left in the world." She said. "I'm not sure what I would do if you died."

"There was once a time when you would have sacrificed yourself if you knew it would save the lives of others."

"Being on Earth has changed that I guess." She said. She pulled his hand away from her face but didn't let go.

"I could change that." He said.

"Oh?" she asked. "How would you do that?"

"When the Enterprise is repaired, I'll request that you be reinstated as a Science Officer onboard as part of the crew."

Acacia smiled, "You always were a charmer."

"Guilty as charged." Said Kirk.

Acacia laughed; her first genuine laugh in almost a year. She watched as Kirk flashed her that cocky smile she had grown to love. Clearly he was pleased with himself.

They spent the rest of that morning just talking. Kirk seemed to be more interested in how well Acacia had been doing on Earth. He deflected a few of the questions that she asked him about what happened since the last time she had seen him.

They talked until Acacia had to leave for work. As she got up to leave Kirk said,

"Will I see you again?"

She knew he was flirting with her but she answered him anyway.

"Of course you will." She said with a smile.

* * *

And she had kept her word. Acacia had spent the next year visiting Kirk both in the hospital and after her got out.

When the Enterprise was finally repaired, Kirk used his negotiating skills to secure Acacia a spot on the crew assigned for the five-year mission. Luckily for her, the Head of the Federation believed in 'second chances'.

So Acacia had packed all her essential belongings and took the earliest shuttle to the Enterprise.

When she arrived on the ship, she found out that she had been given the same quarters that she had on her first mission. The only difference was this time she would have to share them with Tirza. Acacia was glad the vilius was all she would have to share her quarters with.

She had very few belongings so it only took her a few minutes to unpack them and make sure Tirza was settled in.

Then internally squishing her anxiety, Acacia left her quarters to begin her second tour of duty aboard the USS Enterprise.

* * *

**I realize the ending might be a little "lack-luster" but this chapter was meant as an introduction to the rest of the story. The next chapter will be more about where I intend to take this story... **

**I do know where I'm going with this one too! :) I'm definitely getting better at plotting stories out... Tell me what you think in a review!**

**Next chapter will be up as soon as it's finished**


	2. A Vision? Or a Dream?

**Sorry for the long wait but this chapter took a while to write... I had to revise my plotline a bit cause of the first chapter...**

**But here you go! No Copyright Infringement is Intended.**

* * *

"Lieutenant Casimir, please report to the Med Bay. We have something that belongs to you." said McCoy through the intercom.

Acacia looked away from the diagnostic imaging panel that she had been using for the past hour. She pressed the 'reply' button.

"What is it Bones?" she asked lazily.

"Your crazy pet." said McCoy. "She found her way in here and now she won't leave."

"I swear I locked the door when I left my quarters this morning." said Acacia.

"Well then, she's smarter than I thought." he said. "Gah! Nurse, get her away from me!"

There was a loud crash followed by the sound of a disgruntled cat. Acacia tried hard to hold back a laugh as she heard McCoy swearing and yelling orders at the top of his voice.

"You should feel lucky," said Acacia. "Usually she doesn't like anyone besides me."

"But she can't be in the Med Bay." said McCoy.

"Alright, I'll be there as soon as I can."

Acacia sighed heavily. This was the third time she had been called to collect Tirza from the Med Bay this week. For whatever reason, Tirza had a fascination with Dr. McCoy that she would never understand.

Carefully, Acacia made her way to the door of the Science Research Lab. The room was littered with the various biological samples they had collected from the planets they had visited. For the better part of the past month she and Mr. Spock had been busy cataloguing the samples. But as the mission continued and the Enterprise went to many different planets; there didn't seem to be a break in the amount of samples they were given.

When she finally made it to the door she quickly stepped through into the hallway beyond. As she walked down the hall toward a turbolift she noticed once again that most crew members stared after her as she went. She knew that her glittering skin was to blame but she also wished that female personnel were permitted a different uniform for everyday use.

She reached the turbolift a minute after she left the research lab. It was another minute before she arrived at the Med Bay.

Once inside, Acacia understood why Dr. McCoy had called her down there. The scene was absolute chaos.

McCoy was running around the room trying to avoid Tirza, who was chasing him like a cat would chase a mouse. A couple nurses were following them; trying to catch the vilius. But they were not having much luck.

In truth they were all fortunate that Tirza had not changed from her natural form. It would be rather dangerous for an animal larger than a House Cat to be running around the Med Bay.

McCoy looked flustered; his face red from yelling at both the vilius and the nurses.

"You know," said Acacia. "If you had ignored her, she would have left you alone."

As if on cue, everyone stopped. Tirza immediately ran and jumped into Acacia's arms. She began purring as though she had done nothing wrong.

"I'll try to remember that." said McCoy sarcastically.

Acacia laughed, "Your accent gets thicker when you're annoyed."

"Oh really?" asked McCoy, laying on his Southern accent.

"Yes… I otherwise wouldn't know you're from Georgia. Except that I read your file." she said. "And Spock told me."

"That green-blooded Hobgoblin." said McCoy, slight irritation in his voice.

McCoy ran his fingers through his brown hair. Then, quite suddenly, he stopped. His greenish-hazel eyes alight with a new idea.

"Why doesn't that animal follow him around?" asked McCoy thoughtfully. "He must be more interesting than me."

"She does." said Acacia.

She continued to scratch Tirza behind the ears. The vilius was staring at McCoy; her black eyes sparkling out of her blood red fur.

"She visits him when he's off Duty. And they get along quite well," said Acacia. "I think Tirza reminds him of I Chaya, Spock's pet sehlat from when he was a child."

"I just don't understand why she likes me so much." said McCoy.

"Neither do I," said Acacia. "She doesn't like Jim very much so maybe you should consider yourself lucky?"

She took a step toward the door, "I'll take her back to my quarters now. So she won't be in your way."

Acacia turned back around toward the door through which she had entered. She had barely made it another step before everything went wrong.

A quick, burst of pain radiated from her left shoulder as though someone had struck her with a spear. It quickly spread throughout the rest of her body like a virus. Before long she was fighting for consciousness.

The last thing she saw before her vision was swallowed up by darkness was the floor rising up to meet her.

* * *

Acacia opened her eyes. Dazed, she looked around herself. She did not recognize her surroundings.

She was standing in a long rectangular room. The wall to her right was made completely from windows. Sunshine streamed through them; washing the white walls and furniture in a rich golden color.

She looked to her left and saw a floor-length mirror attached to the wall. Her reflection startled her.

Acacia stared at the mirror. She blinked her eyes repeatedly; trying to force the image to change. If the woman reflected in the mirror wasn't copying her movements, Acacia would have thought it was a trick.

Her normally loose blonde hair had been pulled up into an array of intricate knots and cascading curls. Someone had painted her face with make-up in a way that made her look elegant and not tacky, which was all Acacia had ever managed to do. She moved her eyes away from her face and saw what she was wearing.

A wedding dress. She was wearing a wedding dress. Acacia stared at it dumbfounded. It was the kind of dress had to cost a small fortune.

It was strapless with a 'sweet heart' neckline and a fitted bodice. It was made of a pure white material that was light and flowing. The dress clung to her body as though it had been made for her. She lifted the bottom up high enough to see her feet. She saw that she was wearing a pair of white open-toed high heel shoes that were studded with little diamonds.

She dropped the bottom of the dress and took a step toward the mirror. When she moved she noticed something sparkling on her left hand. Her mouth dropped open as she raised her hand to inspect it.

On her 'ring' finger was an engagement ring. The band was white gold set with a diamond the size of an almond. She was at a loss as to why it was there.

Just then a door opened behind her. A man dressed in a tuxedo stepped through and walked up to her.

If it hadn't been for the way his eyes crinkled around the edges, Acacia wouldn't have recognized him.

"Bones?" she asked. "What are you doing here?"

"I've come to get you." he said. "We're about to start."

"About to start what?" she asked, one eyebrow raised above the other.

"The Wedding." said McCoy as he took her right hand.

Acacia followed him through the open door.

"What wedding?" she asked as they walked down a hallway lined with silver ribbons.

McCoy stopped walking and turned around to face her; a bewildered expression on his face.

"Your wedding silly… Your's and Jim's," said McCoy.

"I'm marrying Jim?" said Acacia a little shocked.

"I'll admit I was surprised when Jim told me but now I'm the Best Man." said McCoy with a smile. "And I'm giving you away since your own parents couldn't be here."

Acacia was going to say something more to him when her vision suddenly went cloudy.

After a second it cleared but she noticed that her surroundings had changed again. She was no longer in the Wedding Parlour. Instead she was standing in the middle of a scorched and war-torn battlefield.

It took her a several minutes to realize that it was actually an empty field outside Starfleet Academy.

The main building had been hit by powerful explosives; parts of the walls and roof were knocked away. What little that was left of the building was engulfed in a fire which was spreading into the rest of San Francisco. She stared at the inferno for a minute before a sudden noise caught her attention.

It was the sound of a gun being fired followed by the cries of agony as the person was hit. More shots ensued.

For an unknown reason, she ran toward the sound. As she ran, she realized that she was again wearing her Science uniform. When she reached the edge of the field she saw the source of the noise.

A small battle was raging here between what looked like four men. Three of them were dressed in Starfleet uniforms, one gold and two blue, they were fighting a man dressed all in black. Even from behind, Acacia knew who he was. His long auburn hair gave him away.

Aaran Vassily was fighting the three men and he was winning.

Acacia was close enough now to make out the faces of the three Starfleet officers who were fighting Aaran. To her surprise they turned out to be Kirk, Spock and McCoy.

As she watched, Aaran shot both Spock and McCoy at 'point-blank' range. The two of them fell to the ground; unmoving.

Next she saw Aaran turn to Kirk, his gun raised ready to fire. She rushed toward him but seconds before she could reach him, Aaran shot Kirk.

Acacia stood still; unsure if she was in shock. She gazed down at Kirk's dull, unseeing eyes. Hot, wet tears stung her eyes as she forced herself to look away.

"Well my dear," said Aaran. "You may have chosen him over me. But I won in the end."

He then threw his head back and laughed. The expression of mirth on his face and the laugher ringing in her ears were the last things Acacia knew before everything once again fell into darkness.

* * *

Acacia awoke with a start. She could tell she was truly awake this time because she saw that she was back in the Medical Bay. Her point of view of was at a horizontal level; she was lying on a bed.

She tried to sit up but found that she couldn't. She was restrained.

What the hell…" she said staring at the restraints.

"Good, you're awake. I was beginning to worry." said a voice from somewhere to her right.

"Why am I restrained?" she asked.

She tilted her head to the right. She saw that McCoy was standing a short distance away from her.

"After you passed out, you started jerking your arms and legs around." McCoy said. "And you didn't stop when we put you on the bed."

"So you restrained me to keep me from hurting myself," said Acacia. "Or was it something else?"

"You punched me." he said in an astonished voice. He rubbed his left shoulder like it was suddenly sore. "What exactly happened?"

"You couldn't tell? What kind of doctor are you?" she asked, a smirk on her face.

"I tried to," he said. "But I'm unfamiliar with Lorelei physiology."

"Well I have an idea," she said. "Can you let me up? I need to check something."

"What?" he asked as he untied the restraints and helped her into a sitting position.

"My left shoulder," she said. "That's where the pain started."

"Yeah, I could tell that much."

Acacia rolled her eyes. McCoy's sarcasm could get a bit annoying at times.

She tried to move her shoulder but to her surprise, it felt heavy. She looked down and found her shoulder had been wrapped in a thick bandage. Carefully, she started to un-wrap the bandage.

"Do you really think that's a good idea?" asked McCoy. He was clearly more worried than he was letting on.

"Yeah it's fine. This isn't the first time something like this has happened to me."

McCoy stared at her; his eyes wide.

Ignoring him, Acacia proceeded to remove the bandage from her shoulder. What she found underneath did surprise her somewhat. She heard a sharp intake of breath come from McCoy.

Underneath the bandage was a cut the size of the palm of her hand. It was actually on her chest slightly below her shoulder and parallel with her collarbone. It looked very much like someone had stabbed her with a pointed, circular object. Around the edges there were marks that resembled fissures in a rock.

The cut was fairly deep, blue blood filled the cavity, but it was already beginning to heal. From what she could see, Acacia could tell that it wouldn't be too long before it became a scar.

"Exactly what I thought had happened." said Acacia, thoughtfully.

"What do you mean?" asked McCoy.

"This is the second time something like this has happened to me." said Acacia. "The last time was on my twelfth birthday and that lead to the discovery of my Hypnotising power."

"What happened this time?"

"I saw things. Future things… Or at least I hope they were from the future." Acacia shuddered. "Bones, did I say anything?"

McCoy hesitated like he was afraid to tell her the truth.

"What did I say?" she asked a little more forcefully.

"Nothing to worry about," said McCoy. "You said 'Jim' a few times. But I wouldn't get too worried about that."

"Does anyone else know that?"

"No… Just me and the nurses who helped me."

Acacia breathed a sigh of relief, "We can't tell him about what happened."

"Tell me what?" asked a voice from just inside the door.

Acacia and McCoy turned around to find Kirk standing in the doorway.

* * *

**Yay! Another cliff-hanger ending! :) I think I'm getting better at writing chapters and actually ending them instead of trying to continue them... I used to do that all the time in school... Had lots of never ending stories...**

**I hope this one is enjoyable... I actually had fun while writing it, so that might have affected the quality of writing a bit... Until next time!**


	3. So You Do Feel?

**Hey, I'm back! I apologize for the long time between my updates but I have had a particularly busy July. As a result I rarely had the time to sit down and work on this chapter. But anyway, here it is!**

**I hope you like it! No Copyright Infringement is Intended**

* * *

"Tell me what?" Kirk asked again. His tone suggested he was annoyed by having to repeat himself.

Acacia hesitated for a minute; unsure whether she should tell Kirk the truth. But before she could make up her mind, McCoy stepped forward.

"Nothing to worry about, Jim." he said, gruffly.

Kirk raised his eyebrows, "I don't think so."

He gestured to Acacia. His index finger pointed directly at the wound on her chest.

"That," he said. "Doesn't look like nothing."

Acacia decided it was better to withhold the truth from him, at least for the time being.

"Trust me," said Acacia. "It really isn't anything to be concerned with."

Kirk continued to give her a look that said he didn't believe her. And she knew he was probably right to be suspicious. But she wasn't going to tell him anything about what had happened until she, herself, understood it.

"Really, I'm fine." she said. "My species have a high healing factor. This should be gone within an hour."

Kirk was about to move toward her when, all of a sudden, he stopped. His eyes widened and a look of fear spread across his face. He was staring at a corner about ten feet away from him.

Acacia followed his gaze but saw only shadow. She was about to ask Kirk if he was alright, when she saw it. Something moved within the shadows.

It was a small something. About the size of a cat or small dog. Then it burst from the shadows. It was Tirza.

Tirza rushed toward Kirk; hissing and spitting, her claws slashing at everything she passed. The vilius was still the size and shaped of a House Cat but nevertheless, it was a terrifying sight. No one dared to get near her.

Then, without warning, she launched herself at Kirk.

Kirk barely had enough time to raise his arms so he could cover his face before Tirza reached him. She attacked him with every weapon she had. Her claws slashed at every inch of him she could reach. Kirk yelped as the vilius sank her sharp teeth through his shirt and into the flesh of his left forearm.

It was then that Acacia realized no one was moving to help Kirk. She rushed to his side, aware in some small part of her mind that she had moved very fast, and began to pry Tirza off him.

Tirza seemed to know who was holding her and she soon released Kirk; although rather reluctantly at first.

After pulling her off Kirk, Acacia held the snarling and squirming vilius firmly to her chest. Acacia held Tirza tight enough that the vilius couldn't escape but not so tight that she would be hurt.

"Jim," said Acacia, a little breathless. "Are you alright?"

"Do I look alright?" Kirk hissed. He gestured at himself.

In truth, he didn't look alright. His gold uniform shirt was ripped and torn in places where Tirza had scratched or bitten him. Fresh blood was oozing from the bite mark and the many scratches that covered his forearms and hands.

His wounds weren't life threatening but they still made Acacia feel sick. It was, in fact, her pet who had hurt him.

"I'm sorry." she said, tears forming at the edges of her eyes.

Kirk looked at her; his blue eyes were hard. Acacia couldn't tell whether it was from pain or anger.

"It's fine." he said. "Just get her out of here."

With Tirza firmly grasped in her arms, Acacia ran from the Med Bay.

She was vaguely aware of the route her feet were taking. Her mind was utterly blank. She didn't fully notice where she was until after the door to her quarters had slid shut.

She stood still for a few minutes. Just inside the door; breathing deeply.

She let go of Tirza, who landed lightly on the floor. The vilius stared at Acacia with curious eyes; she could sense something was wrong.

Acacia walked slowly, numbly, toward the door to her bedroom. The door opened when she reached it and she passed through into the now familiar surroundings.

Feeling a sudden wave of emotion, she collapsed face-first onto her bed. There she laid; letting the tears fall and succumbing to the extreme sadness of her vision.

* * *

The Bridge of the Enterprise was oddly quiet. As the five-year mission continued, a certain routine had surfaced among the crew members. They had begun to perform their duties with a silent calmness that was almost unheard of on a Starship like the Enterprise.

It was a little unsettling for Kirk who was used to the chaotic actions of emergencies. Sitting in the captain's chair as he was right now, he almost wished for a little excitement. Even though he knew he shouldn't.

He looked down at his hands clasped together in his lap. The faint red lines on his skin were the only evidence that he had been attacked by Tirza. A slight bulge under his left sleeve indicated the bandage that was over the spot where the vilius had bitten him.

Both he and McCoy were surprised by how deep Tirza had managed to sink her teeth into Kirk's arm. Nearly three weeks had passed since the incident but the wound was only just starting to heal.

Kirk scratched at the bandage absent-mindedly. The wound wasn't painful or even itchy; he was just trying to occupy his mind. As it was his motions weren't enough to completely distract himself from his thoughts.

His thoughts were about Acacia.

He hadn't seen her since the incident in the Med Bay but it hadn't stopped him from thinking about her. Although he had been assured by Spock that she was fine, Kirk couldn't shake the feeling that she was avoiding him.

Over the past three weeks Kirk had been trying to get McCoy to tell him what had really happened to land Acacia in the Med Bay, but his efforts were in vain. McCoy had maintained that it was not his secret to share and that if Acacia didn't want to reveal it, she probably had a good reason.

That acknowledgement had annoyed Kirk the most. Because, after all, Acacia had trusted him with an important secret before. Why wouldn't she now?

With that thought still on his mind, Kirk got up from his chair and headed toward the door into the hallway. He was about to pass through the door when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

He turned around to find Spock standing behind him.

"Captain?" asked Spock.

"I'm going for a walk," said Kirk. "The silence is starting to get to me. I need to clear my head."

Spock raised an eyebrow as he considered what the captain had said. It was obvious that despite his years living among them, he still had trouble understanding Humans.

"I'll leave you in charge, then?" said Kirk. "I shouldn't be long."

As he turned back toward the door, he became aware that Uhura was watching him. Her gaze was unwavering and her dark brown eyes were full of an emotion that was hard to place. Pity or maybe it was understanding?

Kirk shook his head and stepped into the outside hallway, the familiar brightness soon washed away any thought of Uhura. His mind was a riot of emotion as he continued on his journey through the ship.

He arrived at Acacia's quarters about five minutes after he left the Bridge.

Kirk knocked on the door but there was no response. He knocked a little harder and this time he heard some sounds; someone was moving closer to the door.

The door slid open to reveal Acacia standing behind it. She was dressed in civilian clothing; a teal-blue shirt and black sweatpants. Her long blonde hair was drawn up into a messy bun and a few stray pieces framed her pale heart-shaped face.

Kirk watched as she took in his sudden appearance. Her green eyes quickly widened and, just as quick, returned to normal.

"What are you doing here, Captain?" she asked.

Kirk was taken-aback by the harsh formality in her tone. But he pressed on.

"I came to talk to you." he said, nonchalantly.

"About what?"

"About what happened in the Med Bay," he said. "May I come in?"

Acacia hesitated for a moment and then stepped aside to allow Kirk entry into her quarters.

* * *

Acacia stalked past Kirk to sit on the couch and slightly separate herself from him. Kirk continued to stand awkwardly in the middle of her living room.

From her spot on the couch Acacia watched Kirk. She could tell that he was just as uncomfortable as she was. Although she had no idea why.

She decided to jump into the conversation.

"What are you doing here?" she asked again, her words coming out harsher than she intended.

Kirk sighed, "I want to know why you've been avoiding me."

"I haven't been avoiding you."

"I beg to differ." said Kirk as he sat down on the couch next to her.

Acacia jumped up as soon as he sat down and took a few steps away from the couch.

"It's more complicated than it seems," she said, her back to him. "And hard to explain."

"Try me," said Kirk. "Maybe it's not as complicated as you think."

Acacia ignored him. She continued to stare at the wall opposite her. On the wall were two framed objects. One was her graduation certificate from Starfleet Academy and the other was a photograph. Pictured in the photo were three people; Kirk, McCoy and herself.

She smiled to herself and then turned back toward the couch only to find Kirk standing directly behind her. Acacia jumped slightly; she hadn't heard him get up or even cross the small distance between her and the couch.

"Don't you trust me?" he asked.

"I…" she hesitated.

Something McCoy had said to her came floating back into her mind, 'You really care for him, don't you?' She forced herself to look deep into his blue eyes. She noticed how his long lashes seemed to leave his cheeks in shadow.

As she watched him, a feeling rose up inside her; one she had been trying to suppress for a long time. A feeling of attraction that she knew was irrational but still couldn't stop herself from feeling. It only took a minute for logic to break away and for her to give into her emotions.

Acacia leaned her head back slightly, angling herself toward Kirk and reaching up to pull his head down toward her; closing the small gap between them.

"Jim," she breathed.

Their lips were mere millimeters apart; Acacia could sense the tension in the air. She could feel her body heat up as her heart-rate increased; she could hear the pulse of her blood in her ears. Her whole body, every fiber of her being, was crying out for Kirk.

Acacia held her breath and leaned forward.

Before their lips could meet, the Ship was rocked by an intense explosion. The two of them fell to the floor; their limbs tangled up in each other.

"What was that?" asked Acacia, once the Ship had stopped shaking.

To her immense embarrassment, she disentangled herself from Kirk and stood up. Oddly enough, they were the only things in her quarters to have fallen over. None of her furniture or appliances even looked damaged.

"I have no idea." said Kirk. As he stood up Acacia noticed that his cheeks were red.

They stood facing each other for a minute; unsure what they should do next. Then Kirk let out a heavy sigh.

"I should head back to the Bridge and find out what happened." he said. "No doubt someone's already looking for me."

_And it won't look too good for either of us if he's discovered here_, thought Acacia.

"I'll meet you there in a few minutes," she said out loud. "I just have to change into my uniform."

Kirk nodded his approval and turned toward the door. Acacia watched him leave before slipping back inside her bedroom.

* * *

**What did you think of that chapter? I'll admit it's not one of my better ones but it's not too bad... Let me know what you thought of it in a review! **

**I think I'm going to take a break from writing for a while... My "creative juices" haven't been flowing as easily as I had hoped. So I'm going to wait until inspiration strikes me instead of forcing myself to continue :(**


	4. An Unwise Decision

**Hey Peeps! Sorry this took so long but I have started school again and I haven't had much free time to devote to this story. But nevertheless, here it is :)**

**I hope this one is up to the "bar of expectations" that have been set by my previous chapters on this story... This one is a bit shorter than the previous chapters, but I feel it is quality over quantity. And trust me, if I had kept it going just for the sake of numbers, it wouldn't have turned out too well...**

**But anyway, No Copyright Infringement is Intended**

* * *

When Acacia arrived on the Bridge of the Enterprise, she was a little surprised by what she found. Everywhere she looked crew members were running around, tablets and sensors outstretched, trying to assess the damage that had been done to the ship. It didn't look like they were having much luck.

Acacia scanned the crowd for two specific faces. After a few minutes, she found them. Kirk and Spock.

She walked over to the research table they were standing beside.

"You can't find what caused the explosion?" Kirk was saying to Spock.

"No Captain, I am afraid not." said Spock. "I have tried every scan I could think of, but I have not found the source."

Kirk sighed heavily, ran his hands through his golden hair, and turned around. His eyes widened when he saw Acacia standing behind him.

Acacia took a small measure of satisfaction at having surprised him.

"How much damage has the ship sustained?" she asked.

"Nothing serious," said Spock before Kirk could answer. "Our life-support systems and main power core are operational. But it appears the blast was aimed at the Medical Bay."

Acacia felt as though the bottom had fallen out of her stomach. She felt her heart rate increase as a small amount of fear crept into her mind.

"What about Dr. McCoy?" she asked.

"He's alright. We've had word from him." said Kirk. "He said that he, the nurses and patients are perfectly fine. A little shaken, but otherwise alright.

"Some of their instruments and devices have either lost power or are malfunctioning though. So we sent a repair team down to help them."

Acacia raised an eyebrow, "Why would anyone target our Medical facilities? Why not something else?"

"That is precisely what I was attempting to figure out." said Spock.

"But we're in Deep Space," Acacia continued. "And probably the only thing for miles around. Who would attack us? What would they gain?"

"Perhaps," said Spock. "It is not what they would gain but whom they would intimidate."

"I don't know who it was, but when I find them I'm going to give them a piece of my mind." Kirk said angrily.

Acacia watched him again.

His eyes were hard; the blue more like choppy ocean waves than clear sky. There were 'worry lines' around those eyes that she hadn't noticed before. And for a man who was not yet 30, this was an obvious sign of premature aging.

Acacia worried he might be taking too much of the responsibility for the ship on his own shoulders.

She placed her left hand on Kirk's shoulder and squeezed it; hoping she could convey some sympathy and understanding to him. She watched as his stance seemed to relax under her touch.

Kirk opened his mouth to say something to her but was interrupted by Sulu.

"Captain," he said. "I'm picking up another ship in the area."

"What kind of ship?" asked Kirk.

"From what I can tell, it's a small transport vessel mainly used for commercial travel." said Sulu.

"What is it doing here?" asked Kirk. He crossed the short distance between himself and the Helmsman's panel.

"I have no idea," said Sulu. "And whoever is inside it appears to be blocking my attempts to scan the ship."

Acacia suddenly got a bad feeling. Something very wrong was about to happen.

"Captain! We're being hailed!" said Uhura.

"On scr-" Kirk started to say but was cut off by a face appearing on the view-screen.

The Bridge fell silent as everyone took in the sight of the man who was now glaring at them through the view-screen.

The man looked to be in his late twenties with pale skin and hard angular features. His long auburn hair flowed like a wave around his shoulders and down his back. His eyes sparkled out of his face like pale blue gemstones; the fire of hatred burned brightly within them.

Acacia recognized this man. Her worst nightmares had come true.

Aaran Vassily had returned.

"Hello Captain," said Aaran, his tone was venomous. "It is so nice to see you again."

Kirk said nothing in response. Instead he leveled an equally disgusted glare at Aaran.

"It is so wonderful to see how you all have thrived since last I saw you," said Aaran. "But how is my lovely bride? Come on out Acacia, I know you're there."

Acacia flinched when he said her name, as though merely his words caused her physical pain. She took a deep breath and not feeling as brave she knew she should be, she stepped forward to where Aaran could see her.

She stood in front of the Helmsman's panel; fully exposed with nowhere to hide. There was nothing to protect her.

She looked Aaran directly in the eyes; her eyes full of loathing and contempt.

"My dear, you grow more beautiful every time I see you." said Aaran.

Acacia stiffened all over; but said nothing.

What he had said would have been considered a compliment if anyone other than Aaran had said it. Instead, with his tone of voice and facial expression, it was unsettling.

The tension between Acacia and Aaran was so palpable it could be cut with a knife.

"What do you want?" asked Kirk as he walked to stand beside Acacia. He placed his right arm around her shoulders.

It was almost a possessive gesture but Acacia knew he only did it to annoy Aaran.

"You know what I want, Captain." said Aaran. "And if you continue to deny me, you will suffer worse consequences than a laser blast."

"That was you?" asked Acacia, shock and confusion evident in her voice.

"You sound so surprised." Aaran commented. He raised an eyebrow and regarded her quizzically.

"Of course it was him," said Spock suddenly. "I had not considered it earlier because it was highly unlikely."

"Not to mention it would make us look paranoid." said Kirk.

"It never ceases to amaze me just how much Humans and even Vulcans overlook the obvious in their search for the 'Truth'." said Aaran. A smile twisted the corners of his mouth; he was leering at them.

This caused Acacia's calm to crack.

"Why must you do this?" she asked. "What do you really want?"

Aaran sighed, "I want you of course. And as you won't listen to me otherwise, I must resort to any means of communication."

Acacia stepped closer to the view-screen; fear having been replaced by rage and irritation.

"I will never go with you," she said. "I belong here, with my crew."

A spasm of rage crossed Aaran's face after she finished speaking.

"I will give you one hour to change your mind," he said. "If you have not then by then, you will not only have sealed your own fate but those of your crew as well."

With that Aaran terminated the video transmission. The view-screen once again showed the vast emptiness of Space.

* * *

Acacia stayed where she was; utterly still. She wasn't sure if she was going into 'shock' or not, but her mind was devoid of emotion and thought.

Slowly, the gravity of the situation seemed to sink into the rest of the crew members. One by one, they turned their eyes to her. She could feel their gazes upon her but she couldn't bring herself to look them in the eyes.

She knew they were willing her to do something; she didn't know what that was.

There was only one option she could see and she didn't like it, and she knew that it was not what they wanted to hear.

Acacia took a deep breath to steady herself and faced Kirk. The expression on his face did nothing to strengthen her resolve.

Kirk was staring at her; his eyes expectant.

"Jim," she said. "I'm sorry."

Acacia then rushed to the door which lead into a hallway. She was once again aware she had moved very fast; she was in the hallway before anyone on the Bridge knew what had happened.

As she ran through the labyrinth-like hallways she tried to come up with a plan. She knew where she was headed but she wasn't sure what she was going to do after she got there.

"Wait!" said a voice from behind her.

She didn't have to turn around; she recognized the voice. Kirk was chasing her through the hallways.

Acacia ignored his voice calling after her. Instead she stared straight ahead; focused on what she had to do.

It took her slightly longer to get from the Bridge to the Transporter Room than she had hoped but found it was empty when she arrived.

She took a second to lock the door and crossed to the computer terminal. She knew the lock would not hold Kirk back for long, so she moved quickly.

After a quick scan of the surrounding space, she found what she was looking for. The exact location of Aaran's ship. She typed the coordinates into the computer and set a timer for the Transporter.

She stepped onto the Transporter pad just as the door blew open.

Kirk was standing in the doorway and he was not alone. Spock, McCoy and even Dr. Marcus, whom Acacia didn't get along with, were standing next to Kirk.

Acacia glanced at Kirk and knew it was a mistake. His blue eyes were sad; the profound sadness of abandonment. In that moment, she could feel her plan falling apart.

"Where are you going?" asked Kirk.

"I have to put a stop to this," she said. "I can't keep running from him for the rest of my life. It's time that I confront him."

"But there has to be another was." said Kirk. He looked to the others for support but they were silent.

"I have to do this Jim," she said sadly. "There is no other way this time."

Kirk took a slow, measured step toward her. Acacia watched him with gloomy eyes. This could be the last time she saw him.

It didn't make her feel better or worse.

"If I don't make it back," she said. "Please take care of Tirza, Spock."

Just then the light beam of the Transporter started up; Acacia could feel its warmth engulf her. She closed her eyes and held her breath.

The beam was almost completely formed when she felt it. It was a hand clasped around her elbow.

Startled, she opened her eyes.

Kirk was standing next to her on the Transporter pad and he had a tight grip on her elbow.

She was about to say something in protest when the Transporter beamed them off the Enterprise.

The pad was now completely empty and all anyone could do was stare at the spot where they once were. And hope Acacia and the Captain had arrived safely.

As for what awaited them once there; no one knew the answer to that.

* * *

**So there you go! Chapter 4 is complete :)**

**I have to ideas for the next one but with school and Life, I have no idea when I'll get a chance to work on it... It could be later this week or it could be a month from now... I just don't know**

**Please leave your thoughts in a review, if you feel like it... Until next time! :)**


	5. The Invictus

**I'm back! I hope this wasn't too long a break in between chapters. But I think this is actually the shortest break so far... This chapter might seem a bit short compared to the previous chapters but it should be just as good.**

**We're getting close to the end now... Just a few more to go**

**No Copyright Infringement is Intended**

* * *

The moment that he became aware the transportation had completed, Kirk let go of Acacia's elbow. He immediately looked around himself to take in their surroundings.

They were in the middle of what he assumed was a cargo-hold. To his right were crates whose contents he did not know or want to know. To the left was a door which he guessed would lead them out of the cargo-hold. The room was dark; lit only by a solitary light on the ceiling.

He turned his attention back to Acacia. He noticed her studying him with her bright green eyes. The glow of her eyes was unsettling in the dimly lit room.

As he watched, Acacia's expression changed to one of anger.

"Goddamnit, Jim!" she said. "Why did you do that?"

She punched his right shoulder with all her might. She saw him wince with the sudden shock and pain it caused him. Feeling slightly better, she turned away from him.

"What?" said Kirk as he massaged his shoulder. "You seemed suicidal. I thought you needed someone to stop you."

Acacia turned back toward him. She stared at him; her face blank. From what she could tell, he was completely serious. He really intended to protect her.

"Where are we?" he asked, looking around himself again.

Acacia sighed, "We're inside the Invictus. It's Aaran's ship."

Kirk blinked in surprise.

"How do you know that?" he asked, warily. He wasn't sure whether he could handle the answer.

"I helped design it." she said, reluctantly.

Acacia looked him in the eyes. Kirk's blue eyes were wide as saucers; she could almost make out her reflection on his corneas. She knew he was struggling to keep up with what she was telling him.

She wished she didn't have to tell him.

"What do you mean?" Kirk asked. "You told me once before, you never wanted anything to do with Aaran."

"It's hard to explain," she said.

She took a deep breath to calm the anxiety bubbling through her body.

"Try." said Kirk. It was not a direct order but his tone of voice suggested it.

"I first met Aaran when I was 12 years old," said Acacia. "We were in school together. He was perfectly normal then and we soon became friends. It was only when we were 16, and the Council arranged our future marriage, that he started acting strange.

"It was around then that we designed this ship. At first I didn't want to do it, but I changed my mind. I thought spending time with Aaran would help. I was wrong.

"Our original plans of this ship made it a simple Transport vessel. But Aaran wanted to make it a War Ship. It was then that I knew, even with all the help in the world, there was no hope for Aaran."

Acacia stopped here to take another breath and marshal her thoughts.

"After that, I cut off all ties that I could with Aaran." she said. "And started making arrangements to abolish our engagement. I decided then that it would be safer for me to live on Earth."

Silence followed her words.

She watched as Kirk's expression slowly changed from confusion to comprehension. Although, she sensed he hadn't quite understood everything she had said.

"So, if you cut off all ties with Aaran," said Kirk. "Why did you beam onto the ship?"

"There's another reason why I didn't want to marry him." said Acacia, slowly.

"Other than the fact that the man is insane?" asked Kirk, bewildered.

Acacia closed her eyes. Did she want to tell him or not?

Eventually, she decided he deserved the truth. About everything.

* * *

Back on the Enterprise, the crew was still trying to adjust to what had happened. Crew members were rushing to the various areas of the ship; repairing the damage caused by the laser blast. In addition to that, they were preparing for a 'call to arms' should one be necessary.

Spock was seated on the Captain's chair and was staring through the view-screen. Through it he could see the ship onto which the Captain was now stranded.

When Kirk had been beamed off the ship, as First Officer, he had taken command as 'acting captain'. He was currently arguing with Dr. McCoy as to the best course of action.

"We need to go after them." McCoy said again. His voice was gruff and he was red in the face from his irritation with the Vulcan. It was clearly taking every ounce of his patience to carry on this conversation.

"I understand your point of view, Doctor." said Spock. "But I maintain that I have made the best decision based on the situation."

"You do, do you?" said McCoy. "I still think we should go after them."

He paused for a second and took a deep breath. He then looked back at Spock.

"They could be in danger." said McCoy, trying to keep his voice steady.

"Most likely they are," said Spock, nonchalantly. "I do not believe rushing to their aid would be the ideal course to pursue. You have never encountered a foe like this Doctor, I have."

Instead of voicing his opinion, McCoy gave Spock a look that suggested his disbelief in the Vulcan's logic. Wasn't Nero similar to this? Or Khan? McCoy had faced them and come through fine.

"My prior interactions with Mr. Vassily have led me to believe that he is a very disturbed man." said Spock. "Yet, he also appears to have trouble reacting to change. He visibly 'chafes' at the thought of someone not accepting the role he has set them."

Spock then stood up from the chair and faced McCoy. Though his face betrayed no emotion, he did feel. The apprehension he was feeling was mirrored on the doctor's face.

"Mr. Vassily is a creature of obsession." said Spock, his arms clasped behind his back. "He will not deviate from his plan to obtain that which he desires."

"So, you want to wait out the hour that he had given Acacia?" said McCoy, skeptically. "What then?

"We wait for the Captain or Lieutenant Casimir to contact us."

"What if they don't? What if I'm right?"

Spock raised an eyebrow, "I do not know."

* * *

"So, do you have a plan?" Kirk asked.

Acacia nodded, "Follow me."

She took Kirk's left hand in hers and led him through the door out of the cargo-hold.

The hallway beyond was dimly lit; only a few lamps were studded along the ceiling. The walls were made of dark, brushed steel and seemed to suck up any light which fell on it. There were no windows or doors.

Acacia had no trouble navigating by this lack of light. Her Lorelei ancestry allowed her much better night-vision than Humans. She knew that Kirk would have had trouble if she wasn't leading him through the passages.

Despite having a firm grasp on his hand, she still heard him curse after his foot collided with a door as they passed through. He was still 'blind as a bat'.

Normally, she would have chuckled at that but her thoughts were somewhere else.

"We should arrive on the Bridge soon," she said to break the silence.

"Why haven't we met anyone else?" asked Kirk. They quickened their pace down the hallway.

"The Invictus was designed to be piloted by one person," she said as they rounded a corner. "If it was still a Transport vessel, the only other people on board would be the passengers. But since it isn't, there are no other people on board."

Just then, they stopped in front of a large steel door. It was exceedingly ornate for a War Ship. There were carvings of flowers and the faces of Angels set into the door. The faces of three Angels to be exact; two female and one male.

The male Angel and one of the female Angels were on the bottom of the door. Their faces were angled up toward the other female Angel. She was centered on the top of the door and had her face angled down toward the other two. Her face was sad; if Angels could convey emotions.

Acacia stared at the door. One of the Angels looked oddly familiar to her. She didn't know why. She suddenly got a bad feeling.

"A bit surprising, isn't he?" said Kirk. "Was that on the original plans?"

He gestured to the carving on the door.

"No." said Acacia, frowning.

She pressed her hand to the door and it swung open.

* * *

**There you go... Chapter 5 is complete! Yay!**

**Now to start on the next chapter... That could take a while however. I lost my rough copy of the next chapter :( So now I have to start it over again...**

**Hopefully it won't take me all that long to write it once I do get it going again...**

**Until next time :)**


	6. Powerless

**So this chapter took a lot less time to write than I originally thought... I actually wrote the "rough" copy in about 3 days, which I think might be a new record for this story...**

**Not going to say much else... Enjoy! No Copyright Infringement is Intended**

* * *

The Invictus was a stark contrast to the Enterprise. The obvious difference being their sizes. The Enterprise was more than twice the size of the Invictus. Other differences were more subtle.

The Invictus was dark; a shadow in the night compared to the brightness of the Enterprise. Where the Enterprise was equipped to house and protect nearly a thousand people, the Invictus was not. Aaran had modified the ship so that it would sustain only himself and be able to obliterate any other ship he came across.

The Invictus was smaller than the Enterprise but it was just as formidable.

Inside the Invictus, as she was now, Acacia suddenly became aware of how much Aaran had altered the ship. Very little of the original plans had been retained. Only the basic layout of the ship had remained the same.

She looked at Kirk now; trying to read his thoughts by reading his face. As she watched, his expression of surprise shifted to one of seriousness. She could almost see the 'gears turning' as he thought of a plan.

Acacia already had a plan. It was something she knew that she would eventually have to do. She realized the repercussions would weigh heavily on herself and Kirk. She could not fail.

Slowly, she and Kirk made their way from the door to the chair at the center of the Bridge. As they walked, Acacia remarked at the similarities between this room and the Bridge of the Enterprise. She saw the opposites as well.

There were only three interface panels whose locations in the room created a triangle around the Captain's chair. No other chairs were present in the room. The interface panels were at such a height which would force someone to stand in order to use them.

Acacia remembered that they could also be controlled by voice recognition. She knew that was how Aaran was operating the ship. She could see the back of his auburn head from her spot behind the chair.

All of a sudden, Aaran stood up. There was no surprise on his face when he turned toward them.

"So nice of you to drop by." said Aaran, a smile playing with his lips.

Acacia took a step back from him. Kirk, on the other hand, took a step toward Aaran.

"You knew we would come?" he asked, incredulously.

"Precisely," said Aaran. His blue eyes glittered in the gloom. "I knew Acacia would return to me. Although, to be honest, I had not expected you to accompany her."

"I had not intended him to." Acacia said before Kirk could answer. She immediately saw the hurt on Kirk's face. She felt guilty, but it was the truth.

Aaran chuckled, "Now we see your 'true colors'. You are not so different from me."

Acacia stiffened; her green eyes hardening. She steeled herself for what she knew was going to happen.

"I didn't want him to follow me because I knew this would be dangerous," she said to Aaran with ice in her voice. "I wanted to protect him. Not because I wanted to face you alone."

They lapsed into silence. The air was thick with tension as it always was whenever Acacia and Aaran spoke to each other. This time there was an undercurrent of urgency in the silence.

A thought suddenly occurred to Kirk.

"Protect me?" he asked. "Protect me from what?"

Acacia sighed, "From me."

Kirk backed away from her.

"You see, Captain, I am not the only dangerous person on this ship," said Aaran with an air of superiority. "My bride is also dangerous."

Acacia flinched when he said 'bride' it was less of a title and more a term of ownership. He was convinced that she belonged to him.

"I'll never forget the day I first saw what she was capable of doing," Aaran continued. "I'm told that instructor still has no memory or mind of her own. She is nothing but an empty shell.

"If only you had realized the amount of power you wielded. But no, you had to hide it and never use it. You had to become normal and safe.

"You choose to deny your place in the Prophecy that was foretold over two thousand years ago. The very prophecy that allowed for your great power."

"I do not deny the Prophecy." said Acacia. "I choose my own destiny."

"Regardless of what you choose to do, your fate is inescapable." said Aaran. "You and I are fated to end the world. The Angel has said so."

"Is that why the door has three angels carved into it?" asked Kirk, abruptly.

"Exactly," said Aaran. "They represent me, Acacia and the Angel who first uttered the words of the Prophecy."

Acacia chuckled, "She wasn't an angel."

The smile slid from Aaran's face like a water droplet down a window.

"What?" he asked.

"She was my great-great-grandmother." said Acacia. "The Prophecy is not as old as the Council would have you believe. It is only about five hundred years old.

"The Council was afraid of what she said and that it was a regular Lorelei who made the predictions. So they hid the proof of her words inside the guise of an angel. That way their fear would be justified.

"They also left out a key part of the original prophecy."

Aaran was still reeling from what she had said. He turned to Acacia with disbelieving eyes and an ashen-face.

"What did they leave out?" he asked carefully.

"I have the power to destroy you." she said.

She pulled down the collar of her uniform to reveal her collarbone. Parallel with her collarbone were two scars; one new and one old. One scar was on the right side of her collarbone and the other was on the left side.

The scars were similar in appearance except that the newer one still had a bluish tinge to it. The older scar was white and seemed to glitter more than the rest of Acacia's skin.

"'The first-born child would one day be given a power equal to that of the second-born child,'" Acacia quoted. "'With that power, the first-born child could then defeat the second-born child.'"

"You lie," said Aaran. "That can't be true."

"If you doubt me, why not try you power?" Acacia asked, an eyebrow raised.

Aaran licked his lips; thinking. His eyes shifted nervously between Acacia and Kirk. For once he seemed to be unsure about what would happen next.

"Or perhaps you are scared to do so." Acacia said.

This comment seemed to force Aaran from his indecision. He stared Acacia directly in the eyes.

Once again, his eyes were no longer blue. They were a luminous mixture of red, orange and yellow. The color was reminiscent of the Sun.

Aaran continued to stare down Acacia for a few more minutes. Nothing happened. Unlike the time previous, Acacia did fall to the floor in a crumpled heap. She did not even feel any pain.

"Impossible." said Aaran with barely concealed rage. He closed his eyes and opened them; they were blue again.

He then pulled a silver dagger from a pocket within his black robes. Twirling it in his hands, he rushed toward Acacia.

* * *

Kirk ducked under an interface panel as Aaran and Acacia began to fight. They moved at such a pace that it was hard for him to follow their actions. At times they were just blurs.

Kirk had a feeling it would be a battle to the death. And he wasn't sure who would be victorious. He knew they needed help.

He flipped open his communicator. He hoped Aaran had not blocked the ability to call the Enterprise. If he had, they were doomed.

"Kirk to Enterprise!" he yelled into it.

After a minute of static, a garbled reply came through.

"Jim? Is that you?"

"Bones!" said Kirk, relief rushed through him. "Our connection is a little weak but I can still hear you."

"Thank God you're alright." said McCoy through the communicator. "What's going on over there?"

"It's hard to explain," Kirk said sheepishly. "Is Spock there?"

An irritated growl came through the communicator as a response.

"Spock here." said a different voice.

"We've got a bit of a situation here," said Kirk. "I need you and the doctor to beam onto the Invictus. This could turn badly."

"Captain?" asked Spock.

"Just use my location," said Kirk irritably. "I'll drop the shields as soon as I can."

He then closed the communicator. He looked around himself.

Aaran and Acacia were still fighting. Their blurred movements just as fast as before. Occasionally, the silver of the dagger would flash amongst their respective black and blue blurs.

Kirk tore his eyes away from them long enough to locate the correct interface panel. He keyed in the sequence of buttons to disable the ship's shields. He was about to call the Enterprise again when he heard it.

The sickening squelch of metal thrust through flesh.

Kirk turned toward the sound. He saw that Acacia had managed to stab the dagger through Aaran's chest. They were completely motionless.

"Ut succendam vos in Inferno." Acacia said flatly.

Aaran sank slowly to his knees. All the while, he stared at the dagger imbedded in his chest.

Acacia turned her back on him. She was shaking slightly as she looked at Kirk. Her green eyes found his blue ones; there was no sign of indecision or regret within them.

Kirk took a step toward her. Then he saw it and knew Acacia couldn't.

Aaran was rising from the floor; a hand on the dagger's hilt.

Too quick for Kirk to react, Aaran pulled the dagger out of his chest. He then grabbed Acacia from behind and thrust the dagger into her chest. He rotated it as he laughed.

"Won't you join me?" he asked, blue blood bubbling at the corner of his mouth.

Aaran collapsed onto the floor. He was still, dead.

Kirk rushed to Acacia as she slumped to the floor. He caught her and held her in his arms. He placed his left hand on the side of her face.

"He's finally dead." said Acacia, breathlessly.

"Yes," said Kirk, his voice unsteady. He placed a hand on the dagger.

"No, don't remove it." she said. "That would make it worse."

"The doctor is on his way."

"I fear that I won't make it."

Acacia took a shuddering breath; the air rattled in her lungs.

Kirk felt tears sting his eyes. He looked down at Acacia and a lump formed in his throat. There was a dark blue splotch on her chest that was steadily growing.

She would die if McCoy didn't arrive soon.

"Jim," she said. "Do me a favor?"

"What?" he asked in a small voice.

"Kiss me." she said. "Kiss me like it's the last thing you'll ever do."

Fighting back tears, Kirk leaned his head down toward her face.

* * *

It was a well known fact among the crew of the Enterprise that Dr. McCoy was not fond of the Transporter. Though the doctor might say he hated the machine. He found it unnatural how the machine could replicate a person and transport them to another place. His main concern was whether that 'new' person was exactly the same as the original.

Regardless of how he felt about it, McCoy would admit it was a much faster mode of transportation than other methods the Enterprise had to offer.

McCoy and Spock arrived on the bridge of the Invictus about five minutes after they spoke with the captain. Having only stopped to pick up a Field Medical Kit, this was remarkable swiftness. They just hoped they were not too late.

"Captain?" Spock asked into the dimly lit room.

There was no answer so they began to explore the room.

After a minute, they came across a harrowing sight. In the center of the room they could see three bodies. Each of them appeared to be lifeless.

The bodies were that of Aaran, Acacia and Kirk.

Aaran was lying face down on the floor and was unmoving. He appeared to be surrounded by a pool of blood; his own judging by the color. His face was contorted with fury and his eyes stared blankly into the gloom.

McCoy knew that there was no hope for him. The Tricorder would just tell him that Aaran had died from blood loss. The doctor's main concern was now the other two people who were sitting next to Aaran's body.

These two were the captain and Acacia.

Captain Kirk was kneeling on the floor; his head angled down. He was cradling Acacia's limp body to his chest. His arms formed a protective cage around her body. Neither of them was moving.

"Jim?" McCoy ventured, not knowing if Kirk was alive.

Kirk looked up at the doctor. His blue eyes were sharp and bright, they were wet around the edges. He had been crying.

"She's gone." was all he said.

McCoy knelt down beside Kirk. Pulling out his Tricorder, he set about taking the captain's vitals.

According to the Tricorder, Kirk was fine. He might be at risk of going into 'shock' as anyone would in the same situation. McCoy hoped that Kirk might fight it a bit better than he had when Admiral Pike had died. If he went off the 'deep end' again, he might not come back.

Next, McCoy scanned Acacia's body with the Tricorder. He knew the machine would only tell him the cause of death, but he still needed to know. What the Tricorder reported was unexpected.

Acacia was not dead.

* * *

**There... chapter 6 is no complete! I only have one more chapter planned out for this story and then it'll be done... This one has proven to be the most difficult story I have ever written... But I think it's also one of the better ones**

**So I've come to find out I really have a thing for "plot twists" and "cliffhanger endings"... They add a certain element of surprise to stories**

**At least that's my opinion anyway...**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I will warn you that there could be a long wait between chapters... The next one is gonna be hard to get started cause I'm not sure how I should resolve the story**

**And I'm not sure how I want to end this story either...**


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